Champion
by WilderCapall
Summary: He'll battle any day she shows up, but somewhere, deep inside where he'll never even admit it to himself, he knows it's not because he thinks he'll beat her. Checkmateshipping, dedicated to BathroomPhotoshoot.


Well, my awesome friend BathroomPhotoshoot is a massive Checkmate shipper, and she has turned me into one :P So I decided to write her a fanfic, because Checkmate does not get enough love. Also, go read her fic, Nightlights. It is much, much better (and longer) than this one and I stole several ideas and jokes from it.

**Summary:** He'll battle any day she shows up, but somewhere, deep inside where he'll never even admit it to himself, he knows it's not because he thinks he'll beat her. Checkmateshipping, dedicated to BathroomPhotoshoot.

**Warning: **This is my first Pokémon fanfic ever. I have watched none of the anime since Johto. This is Gen V game-verse, ToukoxCheren, going mostly by BathroomPhotoshoot's interpretation of Touko, with whom I would get along swimmingly XD

**Disclaimer: **WilderKaiserin does not own Pokémon or any characters therein

**Champion**

Cheren sighs, recalling his Pokémon into their Pokéballs. Touko stands in front of him, one eyebrow quirked up and a triumphant grin on her face.

"Want a ride down the mountain, Cherry?" she asks teasingly.

"Please don't call me that," Cheren grouches. "And I can walk. I am _never_ riding with you again."

"Oh come _on_, I only grazed three cars and ramped off an angry Steelix. And I've gotten a lot better since last week." The girl shrugs. "But hey, suit yourself." She saunters out of the cave with a short wave, picking up her helmet just outside.

The black-haired boy hears Touko's bike roar and her exhilarated screams as she races that old monster down Victory Road's hills. Oh yes, _that_ sounds fun. Cheren rolls his ice blue eyes.

_Why can't I stay mad at her?_ he wonders, exasperated at himself at least as much as at his best friend. _She's completely impossible. And deranged._

Touko has been Unova's Champion for five years now, but she gave up up the official position after six months and left the League in Alder's hands. The girl quite simply _cannot_ sit still, let alone pay attention to all of the details of the Pokémon League.

Outside the League's Pokémon Center, Cheren releases his Liepard and runs a hand down the purple feline's back.

"Sorry," he says quietly. "You understand, right?" The cat rubs its head on Cheren's hand, purring. "Well good, because I certainly don't."

Another few losses – every time, he swears he'll just stop challenging her, but he goes and does it anyway. He's more than a little jealous when she mentions that she and Grimsley have been training together, but he absolutely will not let it show.

One day, she drags him onto her Hydreigon and books it straight to Nimbasa. Cheren barely stops himself from screaming his head off. She's not much better at this than she is at steering that damned bike of hers. One steep bank nearly sends Cheren pinwheeling into open air, and he wraps his arms desperately around the girl's waist, releasing a very un-Cheren-like squeak. Touko laughs wildly, throwing her arms out at her sides as if she were the one with wings.

She's never looked so free; the sky is her element, where dreams and ideals are alive. Where her troubles don't exist and neither does anything else except the dragon beneath her and the boy behind her.

Cheren hasn't been paying much attention to the calendar, or the news. If he had, he probably would have known about the festival unfolding below them. Nimbasa sparkles brilliantly below Hydreigon's six wings, and Cheren dares to look down.

When they land, he rolls onto the ground, practically hugging the grass. He was going to have to add flying to his list of what not to do with Touko.

"Wussss," Touko taunts, grabbing his arm.

Cheren is thoroughly determined not to enjoy himself – he hates this kind of frivolity – but seeing Touko so unabashedly happy is enough to make him crack a smile or two.

At the end of the night, the blue and black dragon returns – she's been off making friends – and Cheren only hesitates for a few moments before clambering onto the creature's back and holding onto the girl he's never admitted to loving.

They land in Nuvema; seems Touko's feeling a little nostalgic tonight.

"C'mon, Cherry. My girl needs her rest," the Champion of Unova chides, recalling her Hydreigon back into her Pokéball.

Cheren starts to walk away – after all, he hasn't been home in two months, might as well check in – when Touko grabs his wrist, slams him against the wall of her own house, and kisses him, deep and hard like she's trying to eat him alive. Her body is warm against his in the chilly autumn air, but just as Cheren starts to respond, she pulls back and winks at him. That mischievous spirit's back in her eyes.

"Down, boy." She pats his head, turns away, opens her door and disappears without so much as a wave.

Cheren blinks, not entirely sure what just happened, but the unfamiliar taste on his lips seems to indicate that the Champion of Unova just kissed him.

**End**

Well, Photoshoot, I may have killed it . I certainly hope not.

Review if you read, please! :)


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